Month: May 2017

Natchez Burning by Greg Iles; “The first in a trilogy from #1 New York Times bestselling author Greg Iles that weaves crimes past and present into a mesmerizing thriller featuring southern mayor and former prosecutor Penn Cage. Raised in Natchez,Mississippi,Penn Cage learned all he knows from his father,Tom Cage. But now the beloved family doctor has been accused of murdering the African-American nurse with whom he worked in the 1960s. Now Penn is determined to save his father no matter the cost. The quest for answers sends Penn deep into a dark conspiracy involving the vicious Double Eagles,an offshoot of the KKK controlled by some of the state’s most powerful men. With the aid of a local reporter and his fiancée,Penn uncovers a bloody trail stretching back forty years,and is forced to confront a wrenching dilemma: does a man of honor choose his father or justice? Rich in Southern atmosphere,Natchez Burning marks the return of an American master of suspense. Tense and disturbing,it’s the most explosive and ambitious story Greg Iles has ever written.”–P. [4] of cover.

The Orphan’s Tale by Pam Jenoff; Sixteen-year-old Noa has been cast out in disgrace after becoming pregnant by a Nazi soldier and being forced to give up her baby. She lives above a small rail station, which she cleans in order to earn her keep&#x; When Noa discovers a boxcar containing dozens of Jewish infants bound for a concentration camp, she is reminded of the child that was taken from her. And in a moment that will change the course of her life, she snatches one of the babies and flees into the snowy night. Noa finds refuge with a German circus, but she must learn the flying trapeze act so she can blend in undetected, spurning the resentment of the lead aerialist, Astrid. At first rivals, Noa and Astrid soon forge a powerful bond. But as the facade that protects them proves increasingly tenuous, Noa and Astrid must decide whether their friendship is enough to save one another&#x;or if the secrets that burn between them will destroy everything. — from book jacket.

Star Wars: Thrawn by Timothy Zahn; Traces the origins of Thrawn, one of the most ruthless warriors in the Galactic Empire, and the events behind his rise in the Imperial ranks.

The process of including properties in the National Register of Historic Places is designed with several levels of review. These review levels, and the processes of documentation required for each, are arranged in an orderly and systematic way to insure that the criteria of the National Register is maintained. All procedural considerations are governed by National Park Service regulations (36 CFR 60).

1. Initiation

Requests for National Register listing should be made to the State Historic Preservation Officer, please see our contact page for correspondence information. Materials required to begin the process of National Register listing will be sent, including preliminary forms (pdf) which are designed to identify the potential qualifications of the property. Communicate with the Nebraska State Historical Society to determine if a preliminary survey has already been done on the property.

2. Evaluation

When the completed forms are returned to the Nebraska State Historical Society, the staff will review them, focusing on technical and professional considerations of the potential eligibility of the property. Staff can then also supplement the form with academic and statewide research which can support the nomination of the property. The review will also identify potential weaknesses in documentation, areas needing additional research, or other questions regarding technical aspects of completing the forms. Staff opinions and recommendations will be provided to property owner.

3. Preparation of National Register Nomination Forms

The National Register of Historic Places registration form, along with instructions for its completion, will be forwarded to the property owner after a positive staff evaluation. Staff is available to assist you in the preparation of the form. Upon receipt of a complete National Register form, the property will be scheduled for State Historic Preservation Board review. If the documentation is incomplete, the staff will provide you with comments or assist you in the necessary revisions. Correct, completed and fully documented forms must be received at least sixty days prior to a scheduled meeting in order to be considered at that meeting. This allows time to process the nomination under notification and procedural requirements. If property owners desire to have staff write the nomination, the property can be added to our list of nominations to write. This may draw out the process depending on the backlog of nominations awaiting completion.

4. State Historic Preservation Board

The preservation board meets three times a year to review requests for National Register listing. The board is composed of professionals in architecture, archeology, architectural history, and history, as well as interested lay people. All meetings are open to the public. Comments concerning a request for nomination will be received by the board during the meeting, or they can be addressed to the board by letter prior to the meeting date. Owners, sponsors, and applicants are notified of the board’s action following the meeting. Upon the positive action of the board, the nomination is forwarded to the State Historic Preservation Officer.

5. State Historic Preservation Officer

The State Historic Preservation Officer performs the final state level review of the nomination. If the State Historic Preservation Officer agrees that the property is eligible, the form is signed and submitted to the Keeper of the National Register. If the State Historic Preservation Officer does not feel the property is eligible, the applicant will be notified.

6. Appeals

Any person or government entity may appeal the nomination of listing of any historic property. Appeals for nominations may also be made if a property is not accepted for nomination. Appeals are made to the National Park Service and procedures for appeals are found in National Register regulations.

7. National Register of Historic Places

The final review and approval of nominations rests with the Keeper of the National Register, National Park Service.

Build a Better World is the 2017 Summer Reading Program theme for adults at the South Sioux City Public Library. Sign up is easy. Tell a librarian to sign me up, or click sign me up on the Build a Better World page on the library website.

For every 5 books you read, you will be enrolled to win prizes at the end of July.

This was first printed in the Dakota County Star. We thank them for printing it.

The Source of the Force at South Sioux City Public Library

Lost in the Stacks: Science Fiction/Fantasy will celebrate the 40th anniversary of the premiere of Star Wars: A New Hope. We will cover the themes that make science fiction such a popular literary form. You will discover the best books and movies available in the science fiction genre at the library and discover the source of the force. This class is held on Monday, May 15th at 6:30 p.m.

The Five Tribes of Nebraska will be presented by Nancy Gillis on Tuesday, May 16th at 6:30 p.m. The presentation will cover Omaha, Ponca, Pawnee, Santee, and Winnebago tribes. It is a look at the origins, history, and current state of these five tribes. This can be easily adapted for age group appropriate K-12 or adult. 45-60 min.

Cookbook Book Club will be double the fun on Thursday, May 18th at 6:30 p.m. We will share our bread from April’s meeting which was postponed and dessert bars from this month’s meeting. Pick up a cookbook, find a recipe and bring it to this meeting.

The Family Movie this week is a modern take on Mark Twain’s A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court. Family movies are held on Monday evening at 6:00 p.m. and Saturday at 1:00 p.m.

Tech Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday: Bring your technology questions and we will help you to find answers. Dan Nieman hosts Tech Monday from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Peter Mutayoba will host the class on Tuesday from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and Wednesday from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Microsoft Excel class is held on Tuesday, May 16th at 1:00 p.m.

E-book Reader class is held on Tuesday, May 16th at 5:00 p.m. and Thursday at 2:00 p.m.

Tangled Yarns is a group of needle workers who meet each Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. to ply their needlecraft and to teach one another new techniques in crochet, knitting and other needle work. Everyone is invited to attend.

Microsoft Word class is held on Thursday, May 18th at 10:00 a.m.

Microsoft Publisher class is held on Thursday, May 18th at 3:00 p.m.

Author Spotlight Rainbow Rowell is one of Nebraska’s new popular authors. Wikipedia describes her in this way: “Rainbow Rowell is an American author of young adult and adult contemporary novels. Her young adult novels Eleanor & Park, Fangirl and Carry On have been subjects of critical acclaim.” Recently at Cover to Cover book club she was mentioned with some curiosity. I decided to try her book Landline.

The publisher describes Landline in this way: “Georgie McCool knows her marriage is in trouble. That it’s been in trouble for a long time. She still loves her husband, Neal, and Neal still loves her, deeply — but that almost seems beside the point now. Maybe that was always beside the point. Two days before they’re supposed to visit Neal’s family in Omaha for Christmas, Georgie tells Neal that she can’t go. She’s a TV writer, and something’s come up on her show; she has to stay in Los Angeles. She knows that Neal will be upset with her — Neal is always a little upset with Georgie — but she doesn’t expect to him to pack up the kids and go home without her. When her husband and the kids leave for the airport, Georgie wonders if she’s finally done it. The Lake Shore LimitedThat night, Georgie discovers a way to communicate with Neal in the past. It’s not time travel, not exactly, but she feels like she’s been given an opportunity to fix her marriage before it starts. Is that what she’s supposed to do? Or would Georgie and Neal be better off if their marriage never happened?”

If you have read Rainbow Rowell and liked her work or if you are wondering if you would like Rainbow Rowell, you may want to read these authors.

John Green is the author of The Fault in our Stars and Looking for Alaska. Both authors write realistic fiction involving characters trying to find their way in the world and often falling in love along the way. Both authors have a way with fast paced dialogue that will draw you into the stories.

Stephen Chbosky is the author of The Perks of Being a Wallflower. Chobsky writes witty fiction involving offbeat characters, with a hopeful yet realistic tone.

Madeline L’Engle is the author of A Wrinkle in Time. Both Rowell and L’Engle write stories that focus on love stories, specifically on stories about first love.

The following are some books that are similar in style to Landline.

After You by Jojo Moyes is described as, “Louisa Clark is no longer just an ordinary girl living an ordinary life. After the transformative six months spent with Will Traynor, she is struggling without him. When an extraordinary accident forces Lou to return home to her family, she can’t help but feel she’s right back where she started. Her body heals, but Lou herself knows that she needs to be kick-started back to life. Which is how she ends up in a church basement with the members of the Moving On support group, who share insights, laughter, frustrations, and terrible cookies? They will also lead her to the strong, capable Sam Fielding — the paramedic whose business is life and death, and the one man who might be able to understand her. Then a figure from Will’s past appears and hijacks all her plans, propelling her into a very different future.”

Two by Two by Nicholas Sparks; “At 32, Russell Green has it all: a stunning wife, a lovable six year-old daughter, a successful career as an advertising executive and an expansive home. He is living the dream, and his marriage to the bewitching Vivian is the center of that. But underneath the shiny surface of this perfect existence, fault lines are beginning to appear, and no one is more surprised than Russ when he finds every aspect of the life he took for granted turned upside down. In a matter of months, Russ finds himself without a job or wife, caring for his young daughter, and struggling to adapt to a new and baffling reality. Throwing himself into the wilderness of single parenting, Russ embarks on a journey at once terrifying and rewarding– one that will test his abilities and his emotional resources beyond anything he ever imagined”–Goodreads.com.

The Year of the Flood by Margaret Atwood; When a natural disaster predicted by God’s Gardeners leader Adam One obliterates most human life, two survivors trapped inside respective establishments that metaphorically represent paradise and hell wonder if any of their loved ones have survived, while the outside world is overcome by gene-spliced life forms.

The Hallowed Ones by Laura Bickle; Amish teen Katie smuggles a gravely injured young man, an outsider, into her family’s barn despite the elders’ ruling that no one can come in or out of the community while some mysterious and massive unrest is wreaking havoc in the “English” world.

Obsession by Helen Hardt; The continuing story of Jade Roberts and Talon Steel’s relationship, with Talon confessing his love for Jade just as she uncovers some surprising information about what the Steel brothers may be hiding from the world.

The Hypnotist’s Love Story by Liane Moriarty; “A novel about a hypnotherapist who falls in love with a man whose ex-girlfriend is stalking him”

The Woman Next Door by Yewande Omotoso; “Hortensia James and Marion Agostino are neighbors. One is black, the other white. Both are successful women with impressive careers. Both have recently been widowed, and are living with questions, disappointments, and secrets that have brought them shame. And each has something that the woman next door deeply desires. Sworn enemies, the two share a hedge and a deliberate hostility, which they maintain with a zeal that belies their age. But, one day, an unexpected event forces Hortensia and Marion together. As the physical barriers between them collapse, their bickering gradually softens into conversation, which yields a discovery of shared experiences. But are these sparks of connection enough to ignite a friendship, or is too late to expect these women to change? The U.S. debut of an Etisalat Prize Finalist, The Woman Next Door is a winning story of the common ground we sometimes find in unexpected places, told with wit and wry humor”– Provided by publisher.